JACON 2002

JACON 2002 was bigger and better than ever with countless scores of people flocking to the University of Central Florida for a chance to push their credit card to the max. Lots of equally eager anime dealers were on hand to help them in their quest to spend. I of course, being the thrifty person I am, managed to get out alive having only spent $42 for a couple of *necessary* items. This was also my first experience seeing Fan-Subbed anime on DVD for sale. Why people would spend money on something they can download for free is a mystery , but hey - this is America.

Speaking of shows, I missed every single anime episode being played cause I would rather stand in line for the costume contest pre-judging line taking pictures and chatting. Sometimes I wonder why they play anime during the times the dealer room is open and the big contests are underway. Did you watch any episodes during daylight?

As for the costumes, there were some old favorites that garnered attention and trophies. There were also some newer shows being represented by cosplayers, which is more proof that fan-subbed anime is alive and well in the US. I, for one, prefer the newer shows simply because they haven't been cosplayed to death, but I can also appreciate when someone does Belldandy or Sailor Moon characters properly. Even a well-done Asuka in skirt or Plug Suit can ignite those "newbie fan" feelings in us all.

Photos from the costume contest can be viewed here.

Candid photos can be seen here. I'm always surprised how many pictures I *didn't* take whenever I see everyone else's pictures on their web sites. You could say I'm partial to taking pictures of my kids in costume. Maybe that's because I can never get more than 10 feet away from them during the con. In the future, they'll only be let out of their cages at designated times, otherwise they'll be entertaining a babysitter.

Videos from the cosplay event may be posted soon. Since I was running low on film and battery, I decided to stop taping any skit that wasn't entertaining after 20 seconds. Oh the humanity. I give the judges credit for being able to endure it all. I thought this year's cosplay skits were unusually bizarre. Maybe I haven't seen enough skits to know what to expect, but man there was some messed up stuff happening on stage. Besides an occasional crossover or video gaming routine, it was almost like they'd let anyone off the street come in just for fun. NUTTY! Then again, we all know that Cosplay is the work of the devil.

The only depressing thing was not being able to wear our new costumes since they were not *complete*.

Til the next con...
Prof.Tomoe